New Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp Kenya, Opening August 2025

A couple of weeks ago, Marriott announced plans to open two new safari camps in Kenya, including a Ritz-Carlton, plus a second JW Marriott. I want to post an update, as the Ritz-Carlton is now bookable with points, so let’s take a look at all the details.

Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp opening August 2025

The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp is accepting reservations for stays as of August 15, 2025. The property will be located within Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, and will be elevated among trees on a secluded island, surrounding the Sand River, near the Tanzanian border.

The Ritz-Carlton will boast 20 tented suites, including a four-bedroom presidential suite. Each suite will have a separate living area, private sunken lounge, infinity plunge pool, and indoor and outdoor showers.

Plans include dining experiences across multiple venues, like a multi-cuisine restaurant with a curated wine cellar, a stargazing sky deck, and an authentic boma. Additional facilities will include a spa and wellness center, an outdoor gym, a swimming pool, a discovery hub, a map room, and a photography studio.

The property will be all-inclusive, so rates will include meals, drinks, game drives, etc. Currently, it seems like cash rates for double occupancy start at over $6,000 per night on most nights.

However, seasonally I see rates starting at $4,400 per night, which is as low as the cost currently gets.

The property has now also released points availability, for those looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points. Rates are consistently over 300,000 points per night, and of course with Marriott Bonvoy, you get a fifth night free.

Best case scenario, you can expect to pay a bit over 240,000 points per night, if staying exactly five nights. The cost with points is the same whether booking single or double occupancy, which is quite a contrast to the cash rates.

It goes without saying that this is a lot of points to spend. I suppose redeeming points could represent a good value compared to the cash cost of a stay, but still, this is far from a “steal.”

I’m curious how high quality this property ends up being, since branding means very little nowadays.

JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp opening early 2026

Interestingly, there’s not just one new Marriott safari camp planned for Kenya, but two. The JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp is expected to open in early 2026. That’s right, this will be in addition to the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, which opened in 2023.

This property will also feature 20 tented camps, including two-bedroom suites, each with a private plunge pool. Design plans include multiple wellness spaces, and four culinary experiences (including a traditional restaurant and a sky deck dining venue). The property will also boast a spa, swimming pool, fitness center, conservation house, horse barn, retail boutique, and animal viewing hide.

Beyond that, details remain quite limited. I’m just so confused by the branding. I was confused when the first JW Marriott safari lodge opened. JW Marriott is a brand known for its big convention hotels, so it’s not how you’d expect a 20-key safari lodge to be branded. But now we’re seeing not one, but two, JW Marriott safari lodges in the same country.

What am I missing? Please, someone help me understand this, because to me the JW Marriott safari branding has to be one of the greatest mysteries the hotel industry has ever seen.

Bottom line

A Ritz-Carlton safari camp will open in Masai Mara, Kenya, in August 2025, and is already bookable, with both cash and points. The property will feature 20 tents, and will be all-inclusive, as is standard for safari properties. Wildest of all is that there’s a second JW Marriott safari lodge coming to Kenya, and that’s expected to open in early 2026.

What are you expecting from the upcoming Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp?